


Tabletop

by Mykael



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Tabletop Gaming, Dungeons & Dragons Campaign, Family Fluff, Gen, Role-Playing Game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:35:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25411744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mykael/pseuds/Mykael
Summary: “Really, Dick?” Babara asked with a snort of amusement. Dick looked at her with a slight smile on his face and shrugged his shoulders.“What?” he asked innocently.“You just flirted with my Half-Elf Priestess not five minutes ago, and now you're going to hit on Jason?” she asked in an amused tone. Jason snorted with held back laughter.“You forget who you're talking to, Babs?” Jason asked, sipping his soda. Tim cleared his throat and interrupted their squabbling.“So...are we gonna get back to the game, or are you guys gonna keep arguing all day?” Tim asked, arching an eyebrow.“Proceed, Dungeon Master” Dick yielded, gesturing back toward Tim.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 54





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this idea for a while, and then one day, recently, I _just started writing_ and this came out. Lol. Anywho, it's been fun to write, so I think I'm going to carry on with it for a little bit. A few chapters perhaps. It might be a bit shorter than my usual work, but I've been having fun with it, regardless. 
> 
> As per usual, I suck at titles, so please forgive the lack of creativity, lmao. Anywho, enjoy. ^^

A hooded figure sat at the bar in an old tavern, dimly lit by candle light, and what moonlight shined through the window. The owner, and barman of the tavern, a Dwarf by name of Dagnar, was cleaning the classes, paying no heed to the hooded stranger.

“Hey, Dagnar, gimme another drink,” the hooded figure called, raising his empty glass. The dwarf grunted, setting the glass he was cleaning aside to give the man a refill. While he waited, the hooded man let his thoughts run, but both he and the dwarf were interrupted by the sound of the tavern door opening. They both looked to see a Bard with bow and lute, entering the tavern.

The man, or rather, the elf, had medium length black hair and deep blue eyes, garbed in a leather jerkin and dark blue pants with black boots and gloves. A blue cowl adorned his shoulders, with the bow slung over his back and his lute in hand. With naught but an inspecting glance, the hooded figure turned his attention back toward the bar before him. That was until, the bard sat down at the bar beside him.

“Hello there, Dagnar, a pleasure to see you again!” the Bard said cheerily. Dagnar regarded him with a grunt, and slid the hooded figure's drink down the bar to him.

“Jareth,” Dagnar muttered. “What can I get ye?”

“I'll have the usual, my friend,” Jareth said cheerily. He glanced over at the hooded figure and smiled brightly. “My, my, what's a handsome, hooded stranger such as yourself doing in a place like this?” he asked.

* * * * *

“Really, Dick?” Babara asked with a snort of amusement. Dick looked at her with a slight smile on his face and shrugged his shoulders.

“What?” he asked innocently.

“You just flirted with my Half-Elf Priestess not five minutes ago, and now you're going to hit on Jason?” she asked in an amused tone. Jason snorted with held back laughter.

“You forget who you're talking to, Babs?” Jason asked, sipping his soda. Tim cleared his throat and interrupted their squabbling.

“So...are we gonna get back to the game, or are you guys gonna keep arguing all day?” Tim asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Proceed, Dungeon Master” Dick yielded, gesturing back toward Tim.

* * * * *

The hooded man glanced over at the elf and snorted, sipping his drink.

“What’s it look like I’m doing?” he snapped. Sliding the empty glass back across the bar, along with a few gold coins. “I suppose you’re looking to know my name, then? Get all chatty and friendly with me?”

“Well, that’d be nice,” Jareth replied with a genuine smile. The hooded figure removed his hood, revealing a shock of black hair, shoulder length, framing a lightly tanned face with a scar across one eye and two, emerald green eyes.

“The name’s Warren. Warren Hawke. Assassin. A Bounty Hunter, if you will,” the man replied, turning in his seat and rising to his feet. Jareth got up and quickly intercepted the man, earning himself a glare.

“You’re actually the kind of person we’re looking for,” Jareth said quickly. Warren arched an eyebrow at the comment and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Whose this ‘we’? And you need an assassin?”

“This ‘we’, is myself and Jareth here,” came a woman’s voice. Both men glanced over toward the door and a priestess entered the tavern. The Priestess in question was garbed in a form fitting white and gold trimmed dress with a blue sash around her waist, and a matching cloak around her shoulders. Her face was framed with long, fiery red hair that fell down to her waist and was held back by a golden circlet with a blue gem in the center. In her hand, she carried a black staff, wrapped in a thin blue ribbon, with a blue crystal adorning the top of it.

“And you are?” Warren asked. The woman gave a smile, then bowed slightly as she introduced herself.

“My name is Kalyssa Altaea, Priestess of the Eris, Goddess of Life, Health, and Healing. We’ve been looking for men and women such as yourself to join us on a quest.” Warren looked back and forth between the two of them and snorted.

“No offense, but a Bard and a Priestess isn’t much of a team. I’m not interested in getting killed,” Warren replied, then tried to slip past her and out of the tavern. But in a quick motion, the Priestess hit Warren in the gut, then dropped him to the floor with another swing of her staff.

* * * * *

“And you failed your reflex check, Jason,” Tim said as Jason groaned a little. Barbara bore a smug grin and Dick giggled off to the side.

“Damn Babs, you’re a badass even in a game, eh?” Jason asked, flashing a smirk. Barbara crossed her arms and nodded.

“You’re damn right I am. Every good team needs a healer. Doesn’t mean I’m gonna let all the boys have all the fun,” she replied, earning a chuckle of amusement from the other three.

* * * * *

Warren got up and dusted himself, seemingly unperturbed by the unprovoked attack. He straightened his cloak out and his black leather armor, and flashed a smirk at the priestess.

“Not bad, Priestess. Not bad at all,” he replied. “But I don’t work for free,” he added. Jareth sighed and shook his head.

“Well, we can’t pay you, but whatever loot you find is yours to keep,” Jareth offered. Warren cocked an eyebrow, curiosity piqued.

“Loot, you say? Just what kind of quest are you on?” Warren asked. Jareth cleared his throat to speak, but Kalyssa beat him to the punch.

“The Adventurer’s Guild has set us on a mission; Just off of the coast, is an unexplored island. Those who have gone there, have disappeared without a trace.”

“So a suicide mission?” Warren asked, arching his eyebrow.

“No. We’re us. We’ll be fine,” Jareth replied with a dismissive hand wave. Warren sighed, not entirely convinced, but a brief look around the tavern and he realized he didn’t have much else going on at the moment.

“Right, well. May as well join you. I’ve got nothing better to do,” Warren answered, giving a shrug. Jareth and Kalyssa seemed pleased with his answer, and together, the three of them left the tavern. 

“There you are, Hawke! You’re dead!” a man shouted. The trio turned to see three heavily armed men headed their way.

“Friends of yours?” Kalyssa asked sarcastically. Warren sighed and shook his head, drawing his dual daggers.

“Not exactly. But I may have assassinated their boss,” Warren replied. “Honestly, I didn’t think they were stupid enough to come after me.”

“Yes, well, perhaps next time you’ll clean up your own messes,” Kalyssa replied, twirling her staff, while Jareth drew his bow. Their opponents all attacked first, drawing their swords and charging in. Warren smirked and charged in as well, with Jareth loosing an arrow behind him, while Kalyssa wove a spell. 

Casting an enchantment, she improved Warren’s speed; the assassin easily dodge rolled out of the way of a sword strike, and retaliated with a backstab. The man howled and attempted to elbow him, but was shot in the head by an arrow from Jareth’s quiver.

By this point, Warren was already on the second man, while the third was attacking Jareth directly. Acting quickly, Kalyssa spun a ward around Jareth that protected him from the enemy’s attack; Jareth responded by retreating backward, and firing an enchanted arrow, which struck the man’s armor, but set him ablaze, while Warren finished off the third.

“Well, that takes care of that,” Warren commented, casually grabbing up some coins and gear from the dead men.

“What are you doing?” Jareth asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“What? They’re not going to need it where they’re going,” Warren replied with a shrug. Kalyssa rolled her eyes but turned to leave. 

“We leave at dawn. Do what you must, and then meet us at the town gate,” she called back over her shoulder.

* * * * *

“Well, what do you say we call it a day right here?” Tim asked, closing his book and grabbing up his materials, stowing them away in his bag. Dick and Jason both groaned and stretched, and Barbara wheeled away from the table in her wheelchair, glancing at the clock.

“Sounds good. Can’t believe we’ve been playing for four hours,” she said with a laugh. Tim grinned.

“It’s fun, right?” Tim asked, getting to his feet.

“Yeah. Not bad for a nerd game,” Jason teased, earning an elbow in his side from Dick. Tim chuckled a bit and hefted his back over his shoulder.

“Well, we might have a couple other players coming tomorrow. You’re all down to continue tomorrow, right?” Tim asked.

“Oh yeah, sign me up. I don’t have a lot going on right now anyway,” Barbara answered. Dick nodded in agreement.

“I’ve got the week off from the BPD, so I can spare some time for the game. It’s actually kind of fun.”

“Why the hell not. I’m game Timbo. It’s not a bad game,” Jason replied, padding over toward the door and grabbing his jacket. Tim beamed at that and slung his bag over his shoulder.

“Great, see you tomorrow,” he called heading for the door. “Bye Dick,” he called back.

“Later Dickie-bird,” Jason called after Tim. Barbara wheeled toward him and Dick bent down so she could place a kiss on his cheek.

“It was nice of you to host this. I’ve got to get going, but I’ll see you tomorrow.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warren made his way down toward the Town Gate where the rest of his party, Jareth and Kalyssa, awaited him. There was also a new arrival, a wizard from the looks of him. The man was garbed in elegant blue and gold trimmed robes with a long flowing white beard and hair, with a matching hat atop his head. In one hand, he carried a book of spells, and in the other, a wooden staff that looked akin to a gnarled root, with a knot at the top, holding a white crystal in place.
> 
> “Greetings, young man. My name is Orion. Orion the Wise. At your service,” the old man offered with a smile, tipping his hat in greeting. Warren gave a nod and a bow in reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was fun to write. At first, I thought this whole thing would just be a one-shot, but then I decided, why not write out the whole campaign? Have a little more fun with it. And fun, hoo boy, I am most certainly having with this, lol. Anywho, enjoy. ^^

Tim started setting things up at the kitchen table while Dick put together a tray of snacks for everyone to enjoy while they played the game. Jason and Barbara were trading insults back and forth, not serious of course.

“A cigarette? And a Jacket? Damn Jason, you look like a bad James Dean Cosplay,” Barbara sassed, donning a smirk. Jason snorted with held back laughter and leaned back in his chair, said jacket draped over the back of it. As Dick returned to the kitchen table, he snatched Jason’s cigarette, ignoring his protests, and put it out. He set the tray in the middle of the table, and then sat beside Tim.

“No smoking in my apartment, Jay. You know the rules.” Jason rolled his eyes and reached into his jacket pocket for his pack, earning a glare from Dick. “I’ll take the pack away too.”

“Fine, Goldie, fine,” Jason replied, raising his hands in defeat. Barbara laughed, and even Tim seemed amused. As Tim passed out the character sheets again (they could have used iPads and tablets, as Jason suggested, but Tim preferred “old school), a knock came at their door. Dick wordlessly got to his feet and padded over to the door, pulling the door open to see--

“Alfred, hey! Come in!” Dick said cheerily. Alfred gave a slight smile and a bow of his head as he made his way inside. He looked around the apartment, at the mess that it was in, and then at Dick.

“I see your cleaning habits are still the same as always Master Dick.” Dick blushed a little, then grinned from ear to ear.

“So what brings you here?” Dick asked. Alfred gestured toward the kitchen table.

“Master Timothy invited me to join your game, and--”

“Wait what? Alfred, _you_ play Dungeons & Dragons?!” Jason asked incredulously. Tim laughed out loud, and even Barbara gave a snort of amusement; even Dick looked at Alfred in genuine surprise.

“Of course, though only on the rarest of occasions since I came to work at Wayne Manor,” Alfred replied. “I dabbled in the game before any of you were even a twinkle in your parents’ eyes.” Alfred flashed a slight smirk; it made for a nice change of pace to surprise someone, anyone, in this family.

The butler took a seat at the table, and inclined his head to Tim, as the teenager gave him a character sheet, and the next session began.

* * * * *

Warren made his way down toward the Town Gate where the rest of his party, Jareth and Kalyssa, awaited him. There was also a new arrival, a wizard from the looks of him. The man was garbed in elegant blue and gold trimmed robes with a long flowing white beard and hair, with a matching hat atop his head. In one hand, he carried a book of spells, and in the other, a wooden staff that looked akin to a gnarled root, with a knot at the top, holding a white crystal in place.

“Greetings, young man. My name is Orion. Orion the Wise. At your service,” the old man offered with a smile, tipping his hat in greeting. Warren gave a nod and a bow in reply.

“A pleasure to meet you,” Warren answered. With the pleasantries out of the way, he turned to his other two party members and asked “so are we prepared to go?” to which Jareth nodded.

“We are. We did some final, last minute shopping for supplies. Our coin is low, however, so I suggest we take a few jobs in the next town to replenish it.” Warren snorted and waved his hand dismissively.

“We could do that. Or we could scavenge some supplies from bandits. I can assure you, anything they have, was probably taken from someone else. Plus, we’d be doing the kingdom a service; two birds, one stone.” Kalyssa and Jareth exchanged looks and then shrugged in response.

“Can’t argue with that. We ready to go?” Jareth asked. Warren didn’t answer and instead, too the lead.

“Right then, let’s get to it.” With that, the Party began their trek across the kingdom, on toward the Port Town of Taverly. 

As was suggested by Warren, they stopped to deal with roving bandits, and even made a stop by a small village on the way there. It was a quaint village no larger than five hundred people, run by a village chief. It was there that they learned of the source of the Bandits; a Bandit Camp a few miles away, out in the wilderness, ruled by a self-proclaimed Bandit King. For the last five years, the bandits have harassed the village and surrounding villages, to the point that a 10,000 gold bounty was put on the head of this Bandit King. Warren eventually decided for the group that they’d go after him.

“Come on, it’s 10,000 gold! We need money, right? We bag this creep, and we can fund the entire rest of this insane adventure of yours, with money to spare,” Warren offered, as the group went into the forest, looking for signs of the camp.

“Yeah, but you can’t just decide on our behalf--” Kalyssa started to argue, but Warren interrupted once more.

“Are you telling me that none of you were thinking the same thing?” Warren asked with a smug grin on his face.

“He is correct; this is a wise course of action,” Orion commented, everyone’s attention turning on to him. “The bounty will more than fund our quest. Furthermore, dealing with this ‘Bandit King’ will be of service to this region. Without their leader, the Bandits will return to roving bandit gangs, and be little more than a nuisance. We’ll be aiding these people in the long run.”

“He’s got a point,” Jareth pointed out.

“Of course I do,” Warren answered.

“Please, you don’t need to inflate his ego any farther,” Kalyssa answered, earning a snicker of amusement from Jareth. 

Warren led the team through the woods; as an assassin, he was adept at tracking his prey, and sure enough, they found the Bandit Encampment, and it was huge. A wooden palisade was erected around the rather large bandit camp, with the gate left wide open, and the sounds of combat coming from inside. Without a word, the team approached the camp and entered through the gate. 

It was there that they found another person engaged with several bandits. The man in question was garbed in polished black steel armor, face obscured by a helm, and wielding a large, black great sword. He finished off the last of five bandits in what appeared to be a training ground of sorts, and then turned to the newcomers.

“Who are you?” Warren asked, drawing his daggers, the others drawing their weapons as well. The Dark Knight sheathed his mighty sword on his back and removed his helmet.

“I am known as Galen the Vengeful. I am a Dark Knight. I mete out justice against those who believe themselves above it.”

* * * * *

Dick, Jason, and Barbara snickered at amusement when Bruce’s character was introduced, which Bruce seemed to ignore, his expression passive.

“You’re late, Master Bruce,” Alfred lectured. Bruce groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Yes, I am aware, Alfred. I was...busy,” Bruce replied. Tim, who had fought down the urge to laugh, took a breath.

“Honestly, I didn’t think you’d join us.”

“Alfred was...most persuasive,” Bruce replied in an even tone. Alfred smirked lightly and gave a nod in reply.

“Indeed. I insisted Master Bruce join our game and spend some time with his family for a change.”

“You black mailed him, didn’t you?” Jason cut in, bearing a smug grin. Bruce sighed, once again pinching the bridge of his nose. Alfred merely shook his head in response.

“He doesn’t need to black mail anyone, Jay. He’s _Alfred_ ,” Dick filled in.

“Galen the Vengeful? A Dark Knight? Really Bruce?” Dick teased.

“Can we get back to the game,” Bruce asked in an exasperated tone, when Barbara finally broke out laughing.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Barbara replied, lifting her glasses to dry her eyes. “It’s just…*funny*. I mean, I never imagined you playing this game, and reality *far* exceeds my expectations!”

“Okay, okay, back to the game,” Tim called out, holding back a snort of amusement.

* * * * *

“A Dark Knight, huh? Kudos to you pal. Well, let’s get going,” Warren replied, but Kalyssa stepped past him and held out her hand in greeting. Galen shook her hand, and Kalyssa took the opportunity to introduce herself.

“My name is Kalyssa Altaea, and this is Jareth, Warren, and Orion,” she said, gesturing to each of her companions in turn “and we’re on the hunt for the Bandit King.”

“We’re also on another more important quest and you look like the kind of person who can help. Will you join us?” Jareth asked. Galen was silent for a time, considering his options, then nodded in reply.

“I will.”

“Good, let’s go kill us a Bandit King,” Warren said without pause.

“Indeed,” was Galen's one-worded reply. The further they went into the camp, the more bandits they encountered, but also, the more they defeated, the more than surrendered or fled, until at last, they came to “The King”. But when they found him, they understood why he was the King.

Upon a makeshift “throne”, saw a large, 10 foot man, built like a fortress, garbed well-made pelts and skins and brandishing a massive war hammer; this “Bandit King” was a half-giant.

“Well...that was  _ not  _ what I was expecting,” Warren commented, drawing his daggers. The others drew their weapons as well, watching as the half-giant slowly stood to his full height.

“So...you are the trespasser who would  _ dare  _ interfere?” the half-giant asked with a deep, booming voice as he hoisted his war hammer over his shoulder. “And you think to challenge me?! Gravith the Indomitable?!” He swung his war hammer down at the party, whom scattered before the blow was struck. Galen charged in first, sword drawn, but the goliath swung a massive hand to backhand him. He raised his sword to defend against the blow; a quick spell from Kalyssa buffed his strength and he was able to defend against the blow.

“Lightning Arrow!” Jareth called out, firing several arrows in quick precision, each enchanted with magical lightning. The giant growled as the arrows struck, but it barely staggered him. He ripped the arrows out of his armor and tossed them aside. He turned his attention onto Jareth and charged, but he didn’t even get close before a large fireball from Orion pelted him. Growled, the giant twirled his hammer overhead.

Warren attempted to attack him from behind, but the giant spun and backhanded him, spending him skidding across the ground. Kalyssa quickly performed a healing spell on him. The half-giant brought his hammer down toward Warren, but Warren somersaulted backwards to avoid the blow.

Galen managed to grab the half-giant’s attention again by landing a blow on the back of his leg, prompting him to turn around. Jareth sang a short ballad to give Galen and Warren a burst of strength, and Kalyssa stacked another strength enchantment onto Galen. As the hammer came down on the dark knight, he blocked it with the flare of his blade and held him, while Warren jumped up onto his back. Orion harried the half-giant with fireballs, while Warren dug his daggers into his back.

As the half-giant flailed and tried to reach for Warren, the assassin jumped off of his back, and then Galen attacked, swinging his blade and sending a razor thin blast of dark energy. It struck and sent the half-giant stumbling backward. Jareth then rained down fire enchanted arrows on the half-giant, then at last, Orion finished it off with a conjured lightning bolt from the sky.

With a final groan, Gravith fell over backwards and hit the ground with a loud crash. Just to be sure he was dead, Warren slit the man’s throat with both daggers. The Bandit King, Gravith the Indomitable, was dead.

* * * * *

“Well, what do you guys say we call it there, for the day?” Tim asked, leaning back in his chair and stretching a bit.

“Yeah, it’s almost time for the Dark Knight to go play the Dark Knight,” Dick teased, prompting Jason and Barbara to snort with held back laughter. Bruce did not reply, save to pinch the bridge of his nose. Even Alfred seemed somewhat amused.

“Yeah, I got shit to do tonight too,” Jason replied, rising from his seat. “Got some heads to beat in, and some scum bags to fuck over.”

“Still playing Crime Lord?” Barbara asked with a hint of tease in her tone. Jason shrugged.

“Hey, whatever works,” he answered, grabbing his jacket and pulling it on. “How about we go to my place next time. Dick’s apartment looks like a landfill.” Barbara laughed, giving the place a look over and nodded in agreement.

“Ha ha, very funny guys,” Dick answered, rolling his eyes.

“Besides, I’ve been to one of Jason’s safe houses, and I gotta say, I was impressed,” Barbara chimed in and she made her way to the door.

“You’re damn right. I got my shit in order,” Jason answered.

“Language Master Jason.”

“Sorry Alf. See you guys later though. Ciao,” Jason called as he and Barbara headed out the door, with Tim in tow. With them gone, Alfred and Bruce followed, and Dick closed the door behind them.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it Master Bruce?” Alfred asked, as the two of them walked side by side. Bruce grunted in response. 

“I suppose it wasn’t that bad.”

“See? And if you had just come on your own, as I had asked, I wouldn’t have to hold Mr. Snuffles over your head,” Alfred said, flashing a smirk. Bruce sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“It’s just a stuffed animal, Alfred.”

“Correct me if I am wrong, but your mother gave you that little stuffed elephant for your fifth birthday? Curious that you kept it in the closet of your office, as opposed to the attic, sir” Alfred replied, lips tugging into a smile, one without tease or taunt. “Do not worry, Master Bruce, your secret is safe with me. But know that there is _nothing wrong_ with keeping mementos of happier times.” Again, Bruce grunted in response. “Ah, one of those moods tonight, is it?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s gone...our home is gone! How could you?!” The apparition cried out, lashing out at the ghost of a young man, garbed in the attire of a mage and wielding a staff. The man stared at the ground, blank faced.
> 
> “I...only wanted to help…” As soon as Kalyssa drew close, the spirits disappeared…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this was meant to be the last chapter, but it's gotten super long, so I had to cut it in half. ._. and it's still not done yet. xD So the _real_ final chapter should be done tomorrow. For now, enjoy. ^^

Jason whistled a tune to himself as he cleaned up his safe house a little bit, wiping down all the surfaces. A thin layer of dust had built up a bit since he’d not been to this particular safe house in a while. It was one of the few that the rest of the family actually knew about. He’d gone to great lengths to hide the others, especially from Bruce; that hadn’t been an easy feat to accomplish.

This particular safe house was located in The Diamond District, and as such, it was one of his nicer ones. It was a warehouse apartment with two floors. The kitchen and living room took up the bottom floor with no wall to separate them. His kitchen was equipped with modern furniture and appliances, including an island and a few stools, and a kitchen table with chairs. 

The living room was carpeted with a sleek, modern black leather couch and a couple of arm chairs with a coffee table, all in front of an entertainment center with a 60’ flatscreen with surround sound speakers, and a PS4 and Xbox One nearby. Tim and Dick would come over on occasion and they’d play video games or watch movies when they weren’t busy with work, or “work”. Jason would never admit it, but he kind of liked it; it provided a bit of normalcy in an otherwise... “less than normal” life. And...he kind of liked being around his family. But that was a secret nobody would ever learn!

Once he finished cleaning up, he headed up the stairs to his bedroom. He dug through his bureau and got properly dressed in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, then padded out of his room. He stopped and leaned against the railing up the upper floor, looking down over the rest of the apartment below. The upper floor of his apartment wrapped around the entire apartment and the walls were lined with bookshelves, each one packed with books. There was even a black bean bag chair in the far corner, near a window, at Dick’s insistence that he “needed one.”

A knock came at the door and drew Jason’s attention. He raked a hand through his hair and then made his way down stairs, pulling open the door.

“Timbo. And you brought Dickie-bird. Figured you’d be late as usual,” Jason commented, flashing a smirk. Dick rolled his eyes while Tim chuckled in amusement.

“Actually, Dick brought me. I overslept--”

“Wait, you sleep? Like normal people?!” Jason teased, making a fake “shocked” expression, earning a laugh from Dick.

“He could stand to do it more often,” Dick added.

“Ha ha, very funny,” Tim replied, slipping inside the apartment after Jason stepped aside to let him then.

“Hey guys! Sorry I’m a tad late!” Barbara called. They glanced back outside to see Barbara arrive just a moment later, wheeling herself toward the door. “Aw, you even put out a wheelchair ramp for me; how thoughtful,” Barbara said to Jason with a bit of a smile. Jason smiled and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Of course I did.”

“Well, thank you,” she said to him, making her way inside. “And I have to repeat myself from last night, I am impressed, Jason.” She looked around the apartment and gave a nod in approval. Jason chuckled a bit and closed the door.

“Are you blushing, Jay?” Dick asked with a smug grin. Jason’s blush deepened slightly and he glared at Dick.

“Shut up Dickhead.” 

Tim had already made himself comfortable at Jason’s kitchen table and had set up his laptop and grabbed out all of the things he’d need for their game today. Dick took a seat beside him, and Barbara wheeled up to the table, settling in across from Dick. As Jason made his way toward the fridge, another knock came at the door. He sighed and made his way back toward it.

“Bruce, Alf,” Jason greeted hugging Alfred before stepping aside to let them in. Alfred smiled at him and made his way inside, glancing around the apartment. 

“I must say, Master Jason, I approve. Your cleaning habits are certainly better than Master Dick’s.”

“Hey!” Dick called from the kitchen. Alfred made his way to the kitchen table and took a seat. Jason turned back to Bruce and gestured inside.

“Bruce. You coming in or not?” Jason asked. Bruce managed a small smile before he made his way inside, past Jason. Jason sighed and closed the door behind him and then joined them all in the kitchen.

“Alright, let’s get this game started,” Tim said cheerily, passing out everyone’s character sheets and some pencils.

* * *

The party returned to Taverly to collect their reward of 10,000 gold and spent some time in town shopping for much needed supplies. Kalyssa, for her part, went down to the docks to find a ship captain brave enough to take them to the unexplored island just off the coast. Apparently, few (if any) Captains wanted to go anywhere near that island. But Kalyssa managed to find someone.

“There you guys are,” Kalyssa called, waving the group over. Jareth, Warren, Orion, and Galen made their way over toward the priestess. “I found a Captain to take us to The Island. It turns out it has a name, aside from the superstitious name people have given it. It’s called Talesin. That’s our destination.”

“I see. Well then, let’s get going. Let’s kill whatever’s there and get our reward from the Adventurer’s Guild,” Warren replied. Kalyssa rolled her eyes and gestured for them to follow.

“Come with me,” she answered, leading them down to the docks. There, a man garbed in black with a long blue coat and chocolate brown hair awaited them. When he turned around, he looked young, with a thin layer of hair on his chin.

“Aye, I’m Captain Hawke. I’ll be takin’ ye to the island,” he said with a bow. The group exchanged looks and then boarded his ship. Kalyssa stopped before him and paid him his fee; a satchel filled with 500 gold pieces. “Thank ye kindly,” he said with a tip of his hat before he followed her on board.

“So you’re not nervous about taking us to this island? Y’know, the one everyone says is cursed?” Warren asked as the Captain barked out orders. The man looked back at Warren and scoffed.

“Surely not! What’s life without a little adventure, eh?”

With the final orders given, the ship set sail for Talesin. The trip to the island ended up being remarkably uneventful and only took a couple of hours. But when they finally arrived on the island, it seemed surprisingly...normal. Trees, beautiful beach, animals; nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Although the giant, dormant volcano in the middle of the island did concern them just a tad.

“Well, here we are,” Kalyssa said as she got off the ship with the rest of the team behind her. 

“Seems pretty normal to me,” Warren commented. Jareth nodded in agreement.

“Keep your wits about you; normal though it may appear, it could be hiding something dangerous,” Orion warned. Galen stepped forward and drew his greatsword.

“Indeed. We should proceed with caution,” Galen stated as he continued forward. Everyone else exchanged some looks and then followed after him. As expected so far, everything seemed normal as they progressed through what appeared to be a typical jungle. That was until they heard crying. They followed the sound and found a woman, or rather the ghost of one, crying at the entrance of a cave.

“It’s gone...our home is gone! How could you?!” The apparition cried out, lashing out at the ghost of a young man, garbed in the attire of a mage and wielding a staff. The man stared at the ground, blank faced.

“I...only wanted to help…” As soon as Kalyssa drew close, the spirits disappeared…

“Well, I’d say we’re on the right track,” Kalyssa commented to the group. Warren snorted and waved his hand dismissively.

“Oh yes, definitely. And it’s led us to a cave, which is undoubtedly filled with horrible abominations,” Warren answered.

“Not scared, are you?” Jareth teased, prompting Warren to shove him away.

“Bite me, minstrel.”

“Excuse me, I’m a  _ Bard _ , not a Minstrel!” Jareth snapped back.

“Enough arguing. We have a mission to accomplish,” Galen cut in, proceeding into the cave. Warren and Jareth exchanged a look, then chuckled in amusement.

“He’s such a buzzkill,” Jareth whispered. Warren snorted with held back laughter.

“I don’t think he knows what ‘fun’ even is.”

“Enough you two, let’s go,” Kalyssa ordered, heading in after Orion. She turned back to them though and whispered “but you’re probably right.” As the group proceeded into the cave, they were beset by horrors; undead and shadow creatures swarmed them from the darkness.

Orion lifted a werelight into the air above the group, heatless and flameless, though it looked like fire, burning an emerald green color. 

“Undead! Why did it have to be undead?!” Jareth complained, firing arrows at the undead.

“Hold on, let me enchant your weapons with holy light!” Kalyssa called as she began intoning a spell. She started with Warren and blessed his blades with an enchantment. They began to glow white, and as he slashed at a shadow, the creature shrieked and crumbled into black ash.

“Nice, thanks Kalyssa!” Warren called, jumping into combat with some undead. Jareth reached for his lute and began playing a song, laced with magic, to boost everyone’s defense. Galen for his part, found his strikes ineffective against the shadows, but he easily cleaved the undead in two, while Orion had great success with the element of fire on undead and shadows alike.

When the last of the creatures lay destroyed at their feet, Kalyssa made a check of the group to make sure everyone was alright. It seemed, aside from some minor injuries, everyone was mostly unharmed.

“Well, I’m starting to see how people could disappear here,” Warren commented, sheathing his blades.

“Oh, that was just an appetizer! The real fun begins now!” came a voice. Slowly, slinking out of the darkness, was a man with pale skin and green hair, garbed in purple robes--

* * *

“Wait, did you seriously add the Joker to this game?! Why?!” Dick asked incredulously. Tim smirked at the reply he got and looked over at Jason.

“A little early birthday gift for Jason,” Tim replied. Jason grinned like the devil, which pulled a sigh out of Bruce.

“Jason…”

“Shut up and let me have this. He’s not even real!” Jason snapped back, grin returning to his face. “I’m calling dibs!”

“You’re going to enjoy this, aren’t you?” Barbara asked amusedly. Jason looked over at her and nodded.

“Oh, way more than I should.”

* * *

“A fucking clown. Good god, no wonder people disappeared. Pennywise the Necromancer got ‘em,” Warren growled. The necromancer cackled and approached the group.

“Humor is good. You’ll make a hilarious undead minion!” Warren snorted and launched into an attack, vanishing in a burst of black smoke. The Necromancer turned to cast a spell as Warren shadow stepped behind him, but his spell missed as he was forced to duck back to avoid the attack. He shot a blast of green energy that Warren dodge rolled to avoid; the energy struck a rock nearby and corroded it.

“Here’s a joke for you!” Warren shouted, matching his daggers against the Necromancer’s staff. The Necromancer cackled and conjured a swarm of locusts at Warren. He shadow stepped out of the way to avoid them. “What did the Clown say to the Assassin?” Warren flipped backward to avoid another blast of green energy, then charged in and rammed his daggers through the Necromancer’s throat. “Nothing. He was too busy choking on his own blood.”

The Necromancer crumpled to the floor and then Warren turned to Orion.

“Hey, can we burn this fucker?” he asked. Orion arched an elegant brow, but acquiesced and lit the corpse on fire.

* * *

“You had way too much fun with that,” Dick commented with a smirk on his face. Jason heaved a sigh and leaned back in his chair.

“I did. And I have no regrets. Thanks Timmy. I needed that,” Jason replied, flashing Tim a grin. Tim laughed in amusement and nodded.

“No problem.”

“Jason,” Bruce muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. Jason snorted.

“Shut up, you moldy pool noodle.” Bruce arched an eyebrow while Barbara, Dick, and Tim burst into laughter.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What is this?” Kalyssa asked in a hushed tone as they came to what appeared to be a large, open room of the cave. Before them was what appeared to be an entrance to a long abandoned village.  
> “It looks like a village,” Jareth commented. Kalyssa glared at him.  
> “Yes, we can see that, but what’s it doing way down here?”  
> “That volcano, it must have erupted in the past and buried the village,” Orion filled in.  
> “But why does it appear to be perfectly intact?” Galen asked suspiciously.

“Do you feel better now?” Kalyssa asked, arching an eyebrow. Warren flashed a grin and nodded.

“Much. Shall we proceed?” he asked. Galen took point and led the group further into the cave. If not for Orion, however, they could have run into a series of magickal traps. The cave continued downward, deep into the Earth, but the further the cave went, the darker it got. Worse still, the more magickal traps there were. It was as if someone didn’t want them to find what was down here. But more than traps, all manner of undead abominations, progressively growing worse as they progressed, appeared.

“What is this?” Kalyssa asked in a hushed tone as they came to what appeared to be a large, open room of the cave. Before them was what appeared to be an entrance to a long abandoned village.

“It looks like a village,” Jareth commented. Kalyssa glared at him.

“Yes, we can see that, but what’s it doing way down here?”

“That volcano, it must have erupted in the past and buried the village,” Orion filled in.

“But why does it appear to be perfectly intact?” Galen asked suspiciously. At that moment, almost as if on cue, the ghosts of two children appeared, playing in the streets. They then disappeared around the corner. The group exchanged looks, then carefully proceeded into the village. 

Skeletons were scattered everywhere, likely where they died, and as they passed them, they saw ghosts of the people who once lived here, living out glimpses of their lives before the volcano exploded. Merchant stalls with age-old ruined goods still stood, with skeletons near them and the buildings were in near perfect condition, as if perfectly preserved by some outside force. But as they continued through the village, the ghosts kept appearing, kept living out fragments of a past, as if trapped in time. And then they came to an underground lake, a good quarter of a mile outside the village. The ghost of a young man, and a shadowy figure appeared at the edge of the lake.

“That’s the ghost of the young mage we saw outside the save,” Kalyssa called, pointing it out. “But what’s that?” she asked.

“A demon, I’d wager,” Orion replied.

“Please! I have little to bargain with, save my own soul. But if you can spare my village--”

“Very well...I shall spare your village from the coming calamity. Worry not; the volcano shall not destroy your home…” The apparitions disappeared and reappeared moments later.

“You promised to spare my village! You promised--”

“I  _did_ spare your village! It is perfectly intact, and your people, their sounds will be preserved forever, and feed me for an eternity!” The creature replied, letting out a laugh. The young mage collapsed to his knees and wept.

“Why did you spare me?!” he begged to know.

“Part of the rules, you know. Can’t go killing the people that make my contracts. But don’t worry, you still have a place here…”

“So that’s what happened to this place,” Galen murmured.

“Tch, making deals with demons. How stupid do you have to be?!” Warren snapped, unimpressed. Before anyone else could say a word, they heard crying again. They all shared a look and followed it into the village, toward what looked like a Keep. There stood the woman they saw at the entrance of the cave, as a ghost, weeping.

“How could you?!” she cried out at the young mage.

“I...only wanted to help…” he replied, staring down at the ground, blank-faced. He looked up at her and flashed a pained look.

“Please, Alyssa, my love, I...I’m sorry--” the young man said, reaching out toward her, but she shied away from him, then gasped in horror. He turned and standing behind him at the open doors of the keep, was the Village Lord, eyes as black as night with black tears rolling down his face.

“Worry not, for you can join us, my daughter. In death!”

“No!” the young mage shouted, attempting to attack the demon, but the demon was faster, even in the vessel of the Lord, and impaled the mage on a sword, then turned its attention on the daughter.

“The demon must be inside here,” Kalyssa murmured. She turned to the rest of the group, looking each of them in the eye in turn. “Are we ready for this?” she asked. They all gave a nod in reply, and Kalyssa slowly pushed open the door. It creaked open loudly to reveal a darkened place, filled with dust and cobwebs, skeletons or what were once guards scattered all over. As they proceeded inside to the main room, to what was meant to be a “throne room” of sorts, there saw a monstrous beast; the Demon. 

It looked akin to a skeleton, wearing the shadows like a cloak. It had four skeletal arms, its forearms covered in decayed flesh, fingertips curved into claws on all four hands. It’s head was that of a beast’s skull, with two large ram’s horns, and two more pointed backwards atop its head. It’s eyes were black sockets with glowing red orbs within them, and a red gem on its forehead. Worse still, it had two undead creatures attending it, one of the young mage, and the other, of his lover and the Lord’s daughter.

The demon rose up from his throne, made of skeletons and floated before them.

“Ah, so more foolish adventurers, come to seek treasure and glory? You’ll make a fine addition to my collection. Only problem is you’re still a bit... _ living . _ But don’t worry, it’s just a minor flaw. I can fix that for you,” the demon commented. The team drew their weapons and prepared for combat. But before anything else, Kalyssa stepped forward.

“Identify yourself,  _ demon _ !” She demanded. The demon let out a raspy laugh and gave a mock bow.

“I suppose it is only fitting that my subjects know how to address their new master. I am Abraxas, Lord of Sorrow, Devourer of Hope, and Bringer of Misery!”

“Good. Now we know what to put on your grave when we kill you!” Warren shouted, pointing a dagger at the demon.

“Come, let us make war, then! Many have tried and all have failed! Your stories shall end the same!” Abraxs taunted. With a wave of his hand, the skeletons around the room briefly glowed green before they rose to their feet and attacked the party.

Kalyssa began intoning a protection spell for her allies while Jareth began playing a tune on his loot to increase their strength. Warren, Galen, and Orion defended them. Orion torched several skeletons with a blast of fire, while Galen cut down a few more. Warren dodged and weaved between the skeletons, slashing at them with his dagger and breaking bones.

Kalyssa raised her staff into the air as she finished her spell, just in time to shield the party as Abraxas fired a blast of green flames at the party. Kalyssa grunted as she tried to hold the shield while her party members combated the skeletons. But the shield shattered to the demon's power.

Galen and Warren engaged the demon directly, with Warren attacking while Galen had its attention. Orion, Kalyssa, and Jareth focused on the skeletons, with Kalyssa enchanting everyone’s weapons with holy magic.

“Dammit!” Warren cursed as he stumbled backward after a blow from the demon. Green fire began to appear on his shoulder, but Kalyssa intervened, casting a curse removal spell. Galen was farming no better, having been struck with a locust swarm.

“Get down, Galen!” Orion called. Galen ducked as the old mage shot a blast of fire at the locusts and fried them. He turned his fire on the remaining skeletons, freeing Jareth and Kalyss up to help Galen and Warren. Kalyssa intoned a spell while Galen drew the demon’s attention. Abraxas turned just as Kalyssa’s spell was finished, and was struck by a blast of holy light. The demon howled in pain, but the party took advantage; Jareth began rapid firing holy-enchanted arrows at the Demon, and Warren lunged in with his daggers drawn.

Abraxas cursed loudly as the arrows pierced his cloak of shadow, then let out a demonic howl as Warren attack with his daggers, blessed with holy light. Orion followed up with a powerful blast of lightning. Then, as Abraxas turned, Galen charged in and cleaved him in two with his blade. Abraxas let out a death wail as the entire Keep shook before he erupted in black smoke.

“Is it over?” Warren asked. They watched as what remained of the demon fell to the floor as soot. Kalyssa let out a breath of relief and nodded.

“I think so,” she replied. They turned their attention to his two undead servants. The corpses collapsed to the ground, leaving only their spirits.

“At last, we’re free,” the young mage declared. The young woman, the Lord’s daughter turned to the mage and hugged him.

“Free at last!” The mage seemed taken aback by the affection and shared a look with her.

“Does this mean--”

“Yes, I forgive you. I understand you were trying to help, but I was so overcome with grief and anger--”

“I understand. But I still did a terrible thing,” he replied with a sigh. The young woman smiled and cupped his cheek. 

“The nightmare is over now. We can move on and be with our friends and family again.” She then turned to Kalyssa and her party. “And we have you to thank for that.” The young mage stepped forward and gestured toward a door behind the throne.

“The demon, Abraxas, kept any who came here as slaves. Behind that door, you will find the treasury, as well as the things of all those adventurers who came before you. Take them as a reward. And thank you. Farewell,” he said, both he and the woman giving a bow of gratitude before vanishing into the aether.

“Huh. Little cliche, but whatever. Time to loot,” Warren said with a grin, making his way over to the door with the others behind him. He pushed open the door and the entire party gasped at what was inside; chests of gold and jewels, armor, weapons, amulets, and so much more.

“So, was it worth it?” Jareth asked, flashing Warren a smirk. The assassin grinned like the devil and made his way inside the rood.

“Oh that’s a definite yes.”

* * *

Jason leaned back in his chair and folded his hands behind his head.

“Not bad Timbers, not bad,” he said, stretching his arms a bit, Barbara and Dick nodded in agreement.

“I know I was hesitant before, but that was actually pretty fun,” she chimed in. Dick chuckled in amusement and patted Tim’s shoulder.

“I know, right? That was a pretty interesting campaign. I liked it!” Tim grinned pridefully at the compliments he received as he began packing things up.

“Well, it was a lot of fun to play with you guys. I honestly didn’t expect any of you to play a game with me,” he admitted. Jason leaned against the table and looked directly at Tim.

“You might be the “smart one”, but we all know that  _ I’m  _ the fucking nerd here,” Jason said in a ‘matter-of-fact’ manner. “So this nerd ass game of yours? Definitely up my alley. Never had a chance to try it before though--” he started, slowly looking toward Bruce.

“Jason, no,” Dick pleaded, rubbing his temples.

“Because I was too busy being dead.” Everyone in the room groaned, while Jason grinned pridefully.

“Must you--” Bruce started, but Jason interrupted.

“Yes. Yes, I must.” Tim chuckled a bit as he got to his feet and slung his bag over his shoulder.

“You know, I’ve got a bunch of other campaigns, if you guys ever want to play again,” he said.

“Count me in,” Dick said, raising his hand.

“Same here,” Barbara added. Jason just arched an eyebrow and raised an index finger. 

“I would not be opposed to another game, either,” Alfred said. Everyone glanced over at Bruce who sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

“Time permitting, perhaps I would join you for another game.”

“Regardless, this was fun. We should all hangout more often.” Dick beamed.

“Just not at Dick’s pigsty,” Jason teased.

“Hey!”


End file.
